Manatee likely to approve gun club

A hearing officer writes that she intends to OK the Ancient Oak Gun Club on State Road 64

By LEE WILLIAMS

A hearing officer will likely approve a sporting clay range currently being developed by Schroeder-Manatee Ranch.

The Ancient Oak Gun Club, 16800 State Road 64, had been criticized over noise by a church and a school, which uses nearby wooded land several times each year.

Manatee County hearing officer Lori M. Dorman held an additional public hearing last month about noise before deciding whether to approve a special use permit.

Monday morning Dorman sent a letter stating she intends to approve the sporting clay range.

Parties now have five days to respond to Dorman's report. She then has 10 days to issue her final order.

In her draft final order, Dorman points out the findings of a sound engineer hired by SMR to test the noise levels: decibel readings ranging from 43.2 to 47.7 around the 80-acre site, well under the 60 decibel limit imposed by county ordinance.

“The noise anticipated to be generated by the proposed complex does not exceed the county's noise ordinance,” Dorman wrote. “In making the foregoing findings of fact and law, the hearing officer has carefully considered the testimony offered by members of the public and, in particular, those of the students and teachers of the Center Montessori School.

“The hearing officer acknowledges and understand their concerns regarding the impact that gunshot noise may have on the public's use of the adjacent properties,” Dorman wrote. “Nonetheless, under applicable law, this is a permitted use of this property.”

Wayne Evans, a competitive sporting clay shooter who was selected by Schroeder-Manatee Ranch to develop and manage the gun club, said he is confident the club will open since any appeal has to be based upon a point of law.

“There are criteria set forth for the range. All were met,” he said. “Therefore, by statute, the club has to be approved.”

Once the final order is signed and the permits issued, the club could be open within six to eight weeks, he said.

“SMR will announce a grand opening,” he said. “We'll have a website up soon with a calendar of all the events.”

Evans has already been contacted by Duck Unlimited, Boy Scout and Future Farmers of America groups.

“We're talking about a lot of charity shoots,” he said. “These were put on hold.”